Cricket in state schools: New trophy named after Ben Stokes and Heather Knight to be launched in 2026
A new nationwide cricket tournament for state schools will launch in 2026 with the trophy awarded to the winning teams carrying the name of England cricketers Ben Stokes and Heather Knight.
The Knight-Stokes Cup will be a T20 competition contested next summer via a series of knockout regional qualifiers with the finals to be staged on the main ground at Lord’s.
The tournament will be for school pupils in the year 10 age group with separate events for boys and girls.
BBC Sport understands England men’s Test captain Stokes and England women’s batter Knight, who stepped down as skipper earlier this year, have given their blessing for their names to be attached to the trophy.
Stokes and Knight were educated at state schools in Cockermouth and Plymouth respectively.
The tournament has been conceived by Michael Vaughan and is being part-funded by the Black Heart Foundation, a charity which seeks to help under-privileged children with whom the ex-England captain is a trustee.
The Marylebone Cricket Club Foundation will oversee the organisation of the Knight-Stokes Cup in conjunction with regional cricket boards.
A number of independent schools have agreed to provide grounds and facilities for state schools to play matches.
In 2023, the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) reported “elitism and class-based discrimination” in the game was partly down to a lack of cricket in state schools and a talent pathway structurally aligned to private schools.
The report noted some 58% of men to play for England in 2021 were privately educated, significantly higher than the 7% of the general population who went to private school.
Recommendation 18 of the report, involving the removal of the historic fixture between public schools Eton and Harrow fixture from Lord’s, has gained wider traction.
Senior figures at the MCC said the fixture, which has been played at the ground since 1805, should be relocated.
However, it will remain at the Home of Cricket until at least 2027 after complaints by members of the MCC forced the club to reach a compromise.